Politics & Government

Q&A: Rep. Holberg Discusses Upcoming Legislative Session

Holberg addressed job creation, stadium funding, the projected budget surplus and redistricting.

The Minnesota State Legislature reconvenes Jan. 24.

To prepare for the upcoming session, Patch gave Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-District 36A) a call to discuss job creation, the construction of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings, the state’s projected $876 million budget surplus and what Lakeville can expect from this redistricting year.

Patch: What are some of the biggest issues that the Legislature is going to address in the coming months?

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Holberg: We’ll have to watch for the February forecast and look at where the state is fiscally. I don’t expect that they’ll be any additional money to spend, given that any additional revenues, by current law, will go to pay back the education shift. But if the forecast should take a turn for the worse, then we’d have to do some budget adjusting as well.  

Patch: What are your priorities as a legislator this session?

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Holberg: Well, I’d like to do what we can to help job creation. There’s things that we might be able to do in the higher-ed area. One of the things that we’re hearing is that there are jobs out there, but they don’t have the workers with the right training.

Patch: What is your stance on the Vikings stadium at this point? 

Holberg: Well, I certainly wish we would see a bill, either from the governor’s office or from the Vikings. It’s really hard to give a definitive answer, given all the different options that are floating around. I’m not supportive of using general fund money to fund the stadium. I have supported racino in the past and would consider using that type of funding for it. One of the funding sources that I can also support would be the repurposing of the current revenue that’s going to pay for the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Patch: What is your stance on the surplus? How should the surplus funds be used?

Holberg: There is no surplus. 

Patch: I’m referring to the $876 million surplus.

Holberg: Right, but what current law says is that any additional money found in the forecast goes first to fill up the cash flow and then the budget reserve. And so the additional money that was shown as addition revenue, that number, right now, is not to be spent. It’s sitting in the cash flow and the budget reserve. It’s not on the bottom line anywhere.

Patch: Is there anything else that I should know about the upcoming session at this point?

Holberg: Well, I think something that people maybe forget is that this is a redistricting year. And so, Feb. 21, the courts will come out with a new redistricting plan, and that will change everybody’s legislative districts, and we will end up ultimately probably pairing members, etc. And so, Lakeville, with its population growth, is going to get more representation.

Patch: Do you think that there’s going to be a significant impact in terms of who’s representing what areas, because of the redistricting?

Holberg: It will be nowhere near the impact that it was to Lakeville 10 years ago.

Patch: Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.


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